KQED is a proud member of
Save ArticleSave Article
upper waypoint
The Lowdown

It's Really Happening! This Is What KQED's Youth Takeover Looks Like

Rachel Roberson
Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Youth Takeover students from Santa Clara High School, Lincoln High School, San Leandro High School, Menlo-Atherton High School and El Cerrito High School.  (Chanelle Ignant)

The first-ever Youth Takeover of KQED News is in full swing. From students’ personal experiences with post traumatic stress to the future of farming (hint: it involves lots of fish poop), Bay Area youth are being featured on air and online throughout this week (April 23 to 27).

Back in February, students at 10 Bay Area high schools pitched story ideas to KQED journalists and staff. About 20 stories will hit the airwaves and another 60 are featured on KQED.org.

Click on each school in the map below to see a rich array of stories produced by a diverse group of students from across the Bay Area.


For Hannah Shin, 17, a junior at Santa Clara High School, adding her voice to the Youth Takeover was a welcome departure from her “normal” life.

Sponsored

“Much of my waking moments are centered on academics,” Shin said. “But writing my very own Perspective for the radio? And having it featured on a platform that everyone in the Bay Area listens to? It was exciting and thrilling and nerve-wracking all at once.”

For the Youth Takeover, student journalists reported on stories from their schools, neighborhoods and personal experiences, touching on major issues like immigration, homelessness, mental health, cultural identity and the future of the California dream.

The chance to share her story with a wider audience was a powerful learning experience for Vaidehi Dandekar, 14, a freshman at El Cerrito High School.

"Participating in KQED's Youth Takeover meant so much to me," said Dandekar,  who recorded a piece on how yoga has shaped multiple generations of her family. "It offered the opportunity to share my view on something I really cared about."

If you’re reading this during Youth Takeover week, you may have already heard youth voices on the daily newscast at 6:22 am and commentary on Perspectives at 6:43 and 8:43 am. The Takeover will culminate on Friday, with youth co-hosting Forum and The Do List (at 6:22 am; 8:22 am). Youth voices will also be featured prominently on The California Report Magazine (4:30 pm; 6:30 pm; 11 pm) and KQED Newsroom (7 pm, KQED Channel 9).

“It’s empowering to use our platforms to broadcast and elevate the voices of our youth community,” said Ariana Proehl, KQED’s youth media manager. “Their story ideas are at the forefront of the Youth Takeover.”

Check out all Youth Takeover content from our on-air programs.

lower waypoint
next waypoint
Why So Many Central Americans Are Seeking Asylum in the U.S.Real-Time Interactive Earthquake Map: Get to Know Your Local FaultsWhen Rivers Caught Fire: A Brief History of Earth Day (with Lesson Plan)A Look Inside the Youth Vaping CrazeIt's Almost Tax Day. This Is How the Government Spends Your Hard-Earned CashIs the Endangered Species Act at Risk of Extinction?March Madness and the Money: Should College Athletes Get Paid?How to Stop a Nuclear War: The Non-Proliferation Treaty, ExplainedMAP: What Does the U.S.-Mexico Border Really Look Like?